Winery Gardens Great Walk in Spring

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, March 28, 2001

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Winery Gardens Great Walk in Spring

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Eighteen thousand blooming bulbs enliven the springtime gardens at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery. And while a radiant fanfare of tulips, daffodils, and seasonal performers like azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons may entice you to organize a day trip or plan an overnight getaway to Healdsburg, even more heady pleasures await.

I first visited Ferrari-Carano during a summer sojourn spent gathering material for a guidebook. After trekking up and down the West Coast to revel in myriad gardens of every persuasion (tough work . . . but someone had to do it!), Ferrari-Carano emerged as one of the more colorful settings I encountered.

If you're inclined to enjoy an unhurried idyll, this picturesque five-acre landscape of sculpted gardens, meticulous lawns, lavish plantings and spirited water features is ripe for exploration.

At the very heart of the garden plan stands Villa Fiore, an Italianate building housing the winery's hospitality center. Inaugurated in the summer of 1997 after five years of planning and construction, the handsome building is distinguished by tinted stucco walls, commanding stone columns and a deep- toned Roman tile roof; lending a commanding presence to the setting.

Elegant balustrades help to define the ample space of an inviting courtyard surrounding the Villa. Situated to one side of the building, the landscape's dominant water feature captures the attention of onlookers.

Set amidst a backdrop of rolling hills is a glistening rectangular pool animated by fountains and water jets. The planar surface of a pale stone framework highlights the pool's precise geometric form, yet a manicured grassy lawn tends to soften the overall effect. The striking vista culminates in an expansive stairway, ascending to a sun-drenched colonnade.

In front of the hospitality center, a formal arrangement of orderly parterres unfolds. Recalling classic European style, these ornamental beds feature an array of brightly patterned flowers that bid a cheerful greeting to wine country pilgrims and garden travelers.

Another delightful aspect of the garden is found a bit further afield, where wrought iron gates lead to undulating slate walkways bordered by textural plantings of perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and stunning specimen trees. Stroll through this area and you'll discover rocky outcrops, waterfalls, a pond and a meandering stream weaving its way under the gentle arch of wooden bridge.

An important design element, the stream organically links one garden space with another, advancing the distinctive sound of moving water, and endowing hot sunny days with a cool tranquility.

Perhaps the most dynamic visual device comes about through the implementation of boulders used to accentuate a sculptured effect in the water garden and waterfall environment. The area's highly photogenic quality is actually just one of many instances where shutterbugs take advantage of attractive backdrops at Ferrari-Carano.

A number of perfectly placed gazebos and rustic arbors harboring benches provide excellent vantage points to relax and survey the scenery. The richness of the vegetation belies the relative newness of the plantings, as the garden is rapidly filling in with fine displays of flowering plums, dogwoods, magnolias, weeping cherries and Crape myrtles.

Outstanding specimens like Portuguese Cork trees, an elegant coral bark and various Japanese maples play off the burnished hue of silvery birches. Further amplifying the impact of the landscape are stately evergreens; pines and firs, Asian cypress, dwarf Norway and Moerheim Blue spruce.

Examining the deep borders along the walkways, I discovered a couple of my favorite showstoppers. I'm fascinated by the twisted branches of contorted mulberry (Morus bombycis 'Unryu'), and the ornamentally sculptural form of 'Harry Lauder's Walking Stick' (Corylus avellana 'Contorta').

Follow the scent of roses and a formal rose garden is revealed. Its layout features deep green, crisply defined hedging, outlining a thriving assemblage of 'Snow Angel,' 'Redgold,' 'Europeana' and 'Mr. Lincoln' roses.

Growing along the serpentine stream are many grasses. The spiky foliage of blue lily turf, European tuft grass and yellow eve grass complements an agreeable association of flowers: siberian iris, white agapanthus, peonies and calla lilies.

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The gardens offer much to take in, with masses of sweetly fragrant daffodils, the perfume of wisteria and a conspicuous palette of primroses, pansies and Iceland poppies all set to herald spring. .

Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, 8761 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Phone (707) 433-6700 for open hours and directions. Call for information on the event, A Taste of Spring, held on April 7 and 8. Admission to this event is $15. There is no admission fee to tour the Ferrari-Carano gardens.

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